By Chris Kavan - 06/20/19 at 10:47 AM CT
After several weeks of disappointing sequels, Disney is going to once again steal the show as Toy Story 4 not only looks to break the cycle, but could very well be one of the biggest films of the year. There is a second remake coming out, though I have a feeling the updated version of Child's Play is going to have fraction of the impact as the new animated offering. To round things out, Luc Besson is giving us a new action/thriller in Anna. There isn't going to be much competition this weekend, as another Disney sequel is set to dominate.
TOY STORY 4 It has been a long time coming, but finally we have a sequel worthy of conquering the box office in impressive fashion. The Toy Story franchise has been a hit with critics and audiences alike, with each sequel earning more than the previous entry (Toy Story: $191.7 million, Toy Story 2: $245.8 million and Toy Story 3: $415 million) and while the fourth entry might not follow this pattern... I'm betting it will be the highest-grossing in the series by the time it's done. The film has been riding a wave of positive buss - Tom Hanks returns as the cowboy Woody with Tim Allen likewise reprising his role as the action hero Buzz Lightyear and other returning favorites like Joan Cusack as Jessie, Wallace Shawn as Rex, John Ratzenberger as Hamm and Annie Potts as Bo Peep. In fact, the story revolves around Woody and Bo Peep - who find themselves reunited after a long absence and who find themselves coming to terms with what it means to be a toy. New voices include Tony Hale as the makeshift toy Forky, along with Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele as Ducky and Bunny, Christina Hendricks as Gabby Gabby and a supposedly hilarious turn with Keanu Reeves as the over-the-top Duke Caboom. Reeves has been on a tear recently - and anything with him involved is likely to increase interest at least two-fold. Toy Story, in my opinion, has also improved with each subsequent entry, and I find it hard to believe this will be able to top the third film, but if any franchise can pull off getting better and better (well, besides John Wick), this is one I would bet on. Toy Story 4 is going to open huge - with a 98% fresh rating and chances to be the biggest opening for the franchise (many putting it in the $150 million range). No matter, Toy Story 4 is going to take away those sequel blues - and be another huge hit for Disney.
Do you like your toys to be nice... or naughty? Put the kids the bed and relive some more childhood memories or nightmares as it may be. Chucky is back, but he's not the same. For one, he's voiced by Mark Hamill (a great choice - considering he has also played The Joker, though many are upset that original actor Brad Dourif was passed over) for two, he's no longer a reincarnated serial killer, but rather more of a rogue AI gone live. Once again an over-protective mother (Aubrey Plaza) just wants to give her son (Gabriel Bateman) something new and cool - thus settles on a high-tech Buddi - only to find it going off the rails with bodies soon piling up. Of course the young boy sees the evil but no one around him believe him, not the detective assigned to the case (Brian Tyree Henry) nor his mother or friends. But, don't worry, they will all believe in the end... if they survive. The cast also includes Tim Matheson, David Lewis, Ty Consiglio and Beatrice Kitsos. I'm not sure if making things so technological is going to draw in nostalgic horror fans - but maybe it will draw in a younger audience who might be more keen on how the transformed Child's Play. I know this isn't going to make many waves, but I guess I would consider this a solid streaming title if nothing else.
Luc Besson is no stranger into creating strong female leads in action roles, from La Femme Nikita to The Fifth Element to Lucy. And while some films have been more successful then others, Besson is good at what he does. Anna (title character played by Sasha Luss) is a beauty hiding a deadly secret - she's one of the worlds most feared assassins. But when she becomes the target, those who choose to hunt her may find it's not the best decision to try and kill the best, lest she come back with a vengeance. Besson is also good at scouting new talent (like Natalie Portman in The Professional and Milla Jovovich in The Fifth Element) and while Luss has some credits under her belt, this is certainly her first major role as she is primarily known as a model rather than actress. I trust Besson's instincts, however, and Luss is backed up by some big names including Helen Mirren, Luke Evans and Cillian Murphy. Anna probably isn't going to make a huge impact at the box office, given the competition, but I think this will play well worldwide. Besson is a big enough name that he draws a better international audience anyway and if Anna is at least as good as some of his previous films, it will be worth seeking out.
Toy Story 4 is going to dominate the weekend and could approach $150 million. It will be a welcome relief following a few weeks of disappointing sequels and should once again ignite the 2019 box office.
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